Steam-generator.



H, A. GATES.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION HLED OCT. a. 1918.

Patented Dec.24,1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

LQSSEKYO H. A. GATES.

STEAM GENERATOR.

APPLICATION Fl-LED OCT. 3. 19l8.

1,288,557. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

2 SHEET$-SHEET 2.

HOWARD A. GATES, OF CINCINNATI, OHIG'.

' STEAM-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed October 3, 1918. Serial No. 258,639.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD A. GATES, a

citizen of the United States of America, and

a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have a new and useful Improvement in .Steam- Generators, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steam generators and particularly to steam generators adapted for use in automobiles and tractors.

An object of my invention is a generator which by a simple means quickly vaporizes v exhaust gases are directed ily,

and'burris as fuel hydro-carbon oils.

Another object of my invention is a gener- I ator which may be put into operation readas by the throwing Of a switch.

A further object of my erator in which the pressure of the steam may control the admission of the fuel to the combustion chamber.

These objects areattained by the means described in the following specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1, is a view partly in longitudinal section and partly in side elevation of a steam generator embodying my invention.

Fig. 2, is anenlarged detail partly in section and partly in side elevation of a fuel valve and regulator therefor.

Fig. 3, is an enlarged sectional view of the oil controlled switch forming a detail of my invention. 1

Fig. 4, is a sectional view of the pump upon line 4-4. Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 is a detail one-wav clutch which connects the crank shaft with the gear wheel that is in mesh with the shaft of the-electric motor.

In my generator fuel siphons into a chamber and is-sprayed by an air blower B run by an internal combustion engine C, whose by exhaust pipe D into initial combustion chamber A to ignite the sprayed fuel, which is thence conveyed by the blast of the blower into complete combustion chamber E of the boiler e, by means of the Venturi tube A.

Engine C may be started by an electric motor F, the circuit to which is intercepted invented invention is a gensectional view of the the motor when a certain amount of oil has been pumped into cylinder h by engine C.

I will now describe the parts of my generator in detail.

Engine C is of the internal combustion class. The fuel is led thereto from a reservoir not shown, by pipe 0 through a fuel controlling feed valve 0 whose valve stem 0. is in contact with a lever 0 which is connected by a link with the lever g, of switch G, which in turn is connected to the stem 9 of the spring pressed piston 2 in housing 9 whose inner end is in communication with the interior of the boiler e.

hen the valve 0 is seated it closes the auxiliary ports 0, c ,'and cuts oi? the supply of oil to the chambers c, c", of the feed which is mounted upon crank shaft 0 of the engme. Air is the port 5 Crank shaft 0 has upon it the usual fly wheel 0- Large gear wheel 0 is mounted upon crank shaft 0 by a one-way clutch 0 of ordinary construction. In mesh with gear wheel 0 is a pinion 7 which is secured to the shaft of motor F. Motor F is actuated by a storage battery K, from which one Wire l0 leads directly to the motor, the other wire 71: leads to the switch 70 thence a wire k leads to the switch G. Thence a wire in leads to a switch H. Thence a wire 70 leads to the motor.

Housing b of the oil switch is mounted upon the crank case of engine C Housing it has an admission pipe 72. and exit port 7L which communicate with the oil pump M which is adapted to circulate a supply of oil from the crank case through housing It. Pump M is operated by gears m which are actuated by the crank shaft 0 Switch H is actuated by the stem k of piston valve it between which and the top of the housing is mounted a coilspring M.

In operation; when the engine G is at rest, there will be no oil in the housing It, and spring it will have carried piston 72; to the bottom of the housing and the switch H will be closed. When the steam in the boiler e admitted to the blower by V is below the pressure at which it is desired switch G wire is to switch H, wire is and wire k to the battery- K. Crank shaft 0 will then be rotated through pinion f of gear wheel 0 and one-way clutch c. The crank shaft 0" will "then actuate blower B and force air through pipe 6 past the needle valve housing a, and by suction-draw the fuel therefrom and spray it across the mouth of theexhaust pipe d of the engine. The rotation of thecrank Shaft will have reciprocated the pistons intthe cylinders d, and compressed the fuel i'thereln, to be 1gnited in the usual way. The exhaust gases issuing from the pipe (1 being inflamed Wlll ignite the fuel which is belng sprayed from the needle valve by the air pump. 'The ignited gases pass through the flame tube A into chamber E to heat the water in the boiler e. Pump M starts to pump oil from the bottom of the crank case into the housing it through admission port k as soon as the crank shaft 0 starts to rotate. This raises piston h and its stem k and breaks the circuit at the switch H. This will cause the motor F to stop. The pump M will maintain the circulation of oil into housing H through port 10 and out through port k as long as the engine is in operation.

When the pressure-exceeds the predetermined limit it will force piston g outward, move lever g and cause lever c to close valve 0 and cut off the supply of fuel both to the engine and to the chamber A. The movement of the piston 9 also opens the switch G.

The stoppage of the en 'ne likewise stops the pump M and spring 5 will then seat the piston h and close the switch H. If the switch k be left closed, as soon as the pressure in the boiler falls below the pre-determined limit piston 9 will be moved inward by its spring to close switch G, then the circuit through the motor will-be closed. The motor will rotate and cause the operation just described to be repeated. If it be desired to prevent the automatic starting of the engine the switch is is o ened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a liquid fuel burner the combination of a combustion chamber, an internal combustion engine, a pipe from the engine adapted to discharge exhaust gases from the engine into the combustion chamber, and

and will have raised means for dischargin a mixture of the liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber to contact with the inflamed, gases.

2. In a liquid fuel burner the combination of a. combustion chamber, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe from the en-, gine discharging into the combust-ion'chamher, a fuel feeder leading into the combustion chamber, an air blower adapted to spray the fuel from the feeder across the mouth of the exhaust pipe, and a connecting means between the blower and the engine.

3. In a steam generator fora boiler the combination of a liquid fuel' burner comprising a. combustion chamber, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe from the en-' gine discharging into the combustion chamher, a fuel feed valve adapted'to control the .bustion engine, an exhaust pipe for .the engine discharging into the combustion chamber, a means actuated by the engine for discharging a mixture of the liquid fuel and air into the combustion chamber and to contact with'the inflamed products from the exhaust pipe, an electric starter for the engine, an electric circuit for the starter, and a switch interposed in the circuit and adapted to be opened by the running of the engine, and to be closed when the engine stops.

5. In a steam generator for a boiler the combination of a. liquid fuel burner, comprising a combustion chamber, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe for the engine discharging into the combustion chamber, a fuel feed line, a valve in the fuel feed line and adapted to control the flow of to be moved by variations of' pressure in the boiler to open and close the valve, an electric motor adapted to start the engine, an electric circuit for the motor, a switch in the circuit and means connecting the switch and the valve actuator whereby said actuator opens the switch when the pressure rises above, and closes it when the pressure falls below acertain limit.

6. In a steam generator for a boiler the combination of a liquid fuel burner, comprising a combustion chamber, an internal combustion engine, an exhaust pipe for the engine discharging into the combustion chamber, a fuel feed line, pipes leading into the engine and the combustion chamber, a

valve connecting the pipes to the fuel feed line and adapted 'to control the flow of the fuel to the engine and to the combustion chamber, a sprayer adapted to be actuated by the engine to spray the fuel into the combustion chamber, an actuator for the valve adapted to be moved by variations of pressure in the boiler to open and close the valve, an electric motor adapted to start the engine, an electric circuit for the motor, a switch in the circuit, means connecting the switch and the valve actuator, whereby the said actuator opens the switch when the pressure rises above, and closes it when the pressure falls below a certain limit, a second switch interposing in the circuit and means adapted to open the second switch when the engine starts to run and to close it when the engine stops.

' 7. In'asteam generator for a boiler the combination of an internal combustion engine, a combustion chamber, an exhaust pipe from the engine adapted to discharge heated products of combustion into the combustion chamber, a fuel feed pipe, pipes leading into the engine and the combustion chamber, a valve connecting the pipes to the fuel feed pipe adapted to control the flow of fuel to the engine and the combustion chamber, an actuator for the valve susceptible to the variations of pressure in the boiler, an air blower mounted upon the crank shaft of the engine and adapted to spray the fuel from the feed pipe into the combustion chamber, an electric motor, a one-way clutch connecting the motor and the crank shaft of the engine, an electric circuit in which the motor is interposed, a switch in the circuit adapted to be held open by a flow of fluid, and a pump for the fluid for the switch and adapted to be actuated by the engine.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of September, 1918.

HOWARD A. GATES. 

